Art of operating electrolytic cells.



No. 723,398. PATLNTLD MAR. 24, 1903. L. A. LL EUR. ART 0F OPBRATIN LGTROLYTIG CELLS. APPLIOATIO APB.. 24. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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ERNEST A. LE SUEUR, OF SAULT STE. MARIE, CANADA.

ARTOF OPERATING ELECTROLYTIC CELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 723,398, dated March 24, 1903. Application filed April 24, 1901'. Serial No. 57,183. (No model.)

T0 d/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST A. LE SUEUR, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, in the district of Algoma and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Operating Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed to improve the ei'iiciency of electrolyzers possessing porous diaphragms, and especially ofvelectrolyzers used to decompose aqueous solutions of the alkali chlorids.

In the drawing, which represents a vertical section of an electrolyzer arranged to carry my invention into effect, 1 designates the containing vessel or cell, commonly so called.

2 is an asbestos diaphragm separating the interior space of the cell into the anode-compartment and the cathode-compartment.

isacarbon-rod anode occupying the anodecompartment and connected lelectrically with one pole of a source of electrical energy by means of the positive wire 4, the latter having its free extremity immersed within the mercury 5 contained in the recess 6 in the u pper end of the said anode. The cathode (shown at 7) consists of a section of wire-netting placed in upright position within the vesl sel or cell and supported by means of a frame 8, of slate, with which frame it is connected in suitable manner. The said cathode has connected therewith the negative wire 9. The asbestos diaphragm is shown as making contact with one face of the wire-netting cathode. The anode-compartment is provided with a cover or lid l0, which is Huid-sealed,

'or luted, as such sealing is commonly termed in this art in practice, as at 1l, the said cover or lid having an opening therethrough, within which the carbon-rod anode is fitted, as shown, and also having a gasoutlet, as 12. An inlet for brine is shown at 13, it discharging into the anode-compartment above the cover or lid therefor and the brine finding its way by its own pressure beneath the edge of the cover or lid and into the electrolyte-containing space of the anodecompartment.. The cathode-compartment is furnished with an outlet 14, forming an overiow, the said overflow constituting an outlet for the caustic solution.

.solution into the anode-compartment.

- At 15 is shown an inlet by means of which water may be caused to enter the cathodecompartment.

The solution to be decomposed is supplied to the anode-compartment of the cell in such quantity as to apply a greater fluid-pressure on the anode side of the diaphragm than that existing on the cathode side, with the result that a tendencyis set up to cause ow of said solution from the anode side to the cathode side of said diaphragm, and thereby oppose the tendency which always exists for the products of decomposition in solution at the cathode to find their way into the anode-compartment to the serious prejudice of the cells efciency. Y

With a View to further minimizing the objectionable tendency just mentioned I practice the invention which is the subject of the present application by adding water to the liquid contents of the cathode-compartment preferably in a continuous stream by means of the water-inlet at l5, the said water being preferably of a lower temperature than that existing in the anode-compartment, and I allow it to displace from said cathode-compartmentan equivalent volume of an alkaline s0- lution. The effect of said addition of water is twofold. It dilutes the alkaline solution in the cathode-compartment, and thereby renders less objectionable the results arising from the diffusion of a given volume of said It also by reducing the temperature of the cathode compartment minimizes the diffusive powers of the liquid contents of said compartment, which powers rise with the temperature.

I am aware that it has previously been proposed to add hot water or steam to the cathode compartment of cells; but the object aimed at and accomplished is quite different from mine, in that the amount of such addition has only been enough to make up for a lack of passage of liquid from the anodecompartinentin'quantity sufficient to dissolve to a strong solution the alkali formed on the cathode.

What I claim isl 1. The improved art of operating electrolytic cells having porous diaphragms separating bodies of liquid on the anode and cathode sides, respectively, which consists in feeding solution to be decomposed to the anode-oompartment, maintaining a greater fluid-pressure on the anode side of the diaphragm than on the cathode side, whereby movement occurs of solution from the anode-compartment through the diaphragm to the cathode-compartment, and feeding Water to the cathodecompartment in such a manner as to displace an equivalent Volume of the alkaline solution from said cathode-compartment, sub,- stantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The improved art of operating electrolytic cells having porous diaphragms which consists in feeding solution to be decomposed 

